The Little White Bird
by Emily in Neverland
Summary: Based off the story Peter Pan in the Kensington Gardens/The Little White Bird. A more modern retelling.
1. Little Doves and Snowfall

Chapter One: Little Doves and Snowfall

Have you ever wondered where children come from? I'm sure you have. Every child of every age has. Oh sure we ask our parents, every year that goes by we ask. Even before we could talk we would ask. Though no grown up can understand the language babies speak. Their language is a muddled mess of all the languages unspoken by man. Words from the clouds and stars, words from the ground and trees, words from the Sun and Moon themselves. For you see, what all grown ups have forgotten is where babies are from.

You see, when a couple gets together and the feel love in each other they get chosen. They are chosen by a wind. A light fall of snow. A small drop of rain. The stars you see in the sky. They all choose a couple and when they choose a couple they are swept up by the night mother. The moon takes them up and puts together a child's sense of curiosity, kindness, gentility. Then they are handed over to the day father. The sun sweeps them to him and creates a child's boldness, sense of fear and adventure. All put together the child is delivered to the couple. This is how all children begin and how all grown ups will end. You are truly completed when your parents hold you for the first time. They give a small piece of themselves to you and you become complete.

This is why when your aunt says you have your fathers eyes or you are as stubborn as your mother it is because of that piece that they gave you. Of course you will never be just like your parents. It is because children pick up other pieces from many other places. You will get pieces from your friends and it is the most magical thing to watch for grown ups. For grown ups somehow forget exactly how to swap pieces like children do. Children run about in their playgrounds meeting other children and swapping pieces as easily and freely as snacks and trading cards. They also take pieces from places they go and leave a piece behind. It is common politeness to leave a piece of yourself in classrooms and playgrounds if you take one.

It is said that when the very first playground was created it was a small girl by the name of Gloria who was playing a game with her friends, passing pieces around when she accidentally dropped a rather large piece of herself and it shattered into many more pieces. She felt so bad she began to cry all the children in the playground felt so bad for her they all came and put a piece of themselves alongside Gloria's broken pieces and promised they would place a piece of themselves in every playground, class room and garden. Of course you can't go on leaving pieces of yourself everywhere you go so it became common to take piece when you leave one.

New buildings and playgrounds don't come with pieces. They have to be given them by a generous child or dropped accidentally in passing. However places like gardens, forests, rivers and graveyards are filled with pieces naturally. All pieces of grown ups long after they've stopped being a grown up and moved on. There's a place from my childhood that I took many pieces from. A piece of the river that I would spend every summer in and a piece I left with it. A piece of the forest that surrounded it on all sides with pieces of myself all over it as well. This place will forever be apart of me as much as I am a part of it and it hurts in many ways to know that my children will never see it.

Now that you know where you came from you can't be surprised that when an infant first becomes human they are a little unsettled. They have bodies that aren't like what they used to be. They can't simply drift through homes and trees like the breezes they were. So when stuck in a room or playpen they are unnerved, they have never been stuck before. They can't illuminate the darkness like they did while they are stars. So when left in the dark they cannot see nor can they be sure that there isn't anything sneaking up on them. They've never felt their stomachs yearn for food, nor felt it full from over eating. They've never had no teeth to bite and chew but they've never had teeth or felt them come in. Being a baby is hard for someone who's never been human before.

Not even mentioning how hard being human in general is, there is no instruction manual for growing up or being any certain age. No matter who you look at I will let you know they have no idea what they are doing. Especially grown ups. There are so many ways to grow up and to be grown up that no two grown ups are exactly alike. That's why no parent is exactly alike. Why sometimes your parents argue over which punishment to give you or what is better for you. They simply don't know, there is no right way to be a grown up and there is no right way to be a child.

Why is it important you know where babies come from? Well let me introduce you to a few players in this story. For starters let's talk about Franklin Bellmay. He's old money who inherited his father's fortune from his grandfather's law business. The wealth pours in like the waves of the ocean if the tide never had to ebb. The senior Bellmay's lived in a nice house near the ocean. With the best view of the sunset in the world. Their only son was Franklin and they gave him the world. He was trained from birth to take over the family business and marry a lovely woman and bring another heir to the business and so on and so forth. It was expected, demanded. As it is in all old money families. Just like the olden days of kings and queens who had to pass on their royal blood as a sign of their prominence. Franklin Bellmay grew up to be a self important man who honestly forgotten to look for a partner to produce a child to raise. He didn't have to look far to find a suitable woman. Enter our second character, Nan Wilson. A kind of woman who was looking for the easy way out. The easy way to live and a man to care for her.

This is a very different time from now. When it was expected of men to take care of the women and for the women to take care of the house. So for Nan, when she met Franklin, it was perfect. The house and marriage came with a team of maids, a personal chef and upon the birth of a child, a full time nanny. The only condition was to produce a child. Produce a child and she could live out the rest of her life in ease. There was simply nothing better for her. So they married hurriedly, Nan was married in white as most brides are. In a dress that could be considered fit for a princess. To be fair the girl was a bit of a bridezilla. To say that she wanted everything perfect and it must be perfect. There was no room for failure. If things didn't go her way she would pitch a fit like you wouldn't believe! She would go on and on whining and crying until she got her way, and get her way she would! The wedding was undeniably beautiful, with the whitest dress and flowers that would put any field to shame. It was at dawn and on the side of a cliff facing the ocean.

In the first year of their marriage no child came and rightfully so. As I stated previously a couple has to be chosen by the child they will have and only when they truly feel love for each other, even if it's a kind of love you feel for a sister or a brother, a child will be chosen. It took another two years before a very strange occurrence happened.


	2. Away He Flew

So I actually completely forgot about this fic, big thanks to Ghost Wolf 114 for the comment that reminded me this existed! The updates will be a little slow as I am eight months pregnant with my own little Lost Boy! So I will try to remember to update but as anyone with small children knows, things get forgotten when children are around.

Chapter Two: Away He Flew.

Nan and Franklin Bellmay had the perfect life. However after a few years and no children the marriage began to crack. Nan could have everything she wanted if she could only produce a child but it was three years since their wedding day and still there was no child. Of course you and I know why there was no child. There was no feeling between them, nothing but a sort of contentment between the two and as the years went on the two began to turn on each other. A business relationship falling apart as one end of the deal wasn't being held up.

Just as it seemed like the perfect union would end a strange wind blew in. A mischievous wind that played with everything in its wake. It blew over the umbrellas in front of the shops and at the beaches. It blew trash cans clean over and spilled trash everywhere. Dirtying the streets and making a mess. It was a devil of a wind, who liked to play pranks and jokes.

This wind saw the Goddess of the night high up in the sky. Her beautiful midnight locks waving behind her like an ocean with thousands of pearls adrift in the seas. She watched the earth and all who live on it. Her beautiful sparkling dress waved around in the night. The wind gave a mischievous giggle and blew up and strong. He ruffled the dress and blew up the Goddess's skirt! The stars gasped and the moon gave a shriek. The wind giggled and started away but wasn't faster than the night mother. She swept him up and was about to give him a good what for when she got a better idea. She swept the little bundle together with a gentle soul and a sweet disposition. For even though she's a little angry with him she couldn't give him anything more or less than what she'd give another child.

This wind was quite indignant and wrestled and fought with her and it took her full attention and all night to get him in a proper shape. She passed him into the hands of the God who took it surprised. He wrestled it about into the shape of a little baby boy with a daring heart and a bold mind. The sun looked about for the couple this child now belonged to but there wasn't one. The little boy wriggled and slipped right out of his grasp! The new little boy fell straight into the arms of Nan Bellmay. Quite a surprise but she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. She held on to her new little bundle and raced home as fast as she could. It would be hours before Franklin came home and there was a lot to do beforehand. A room to furnish and lots of supplies to procure. She bolted in through the door to her house and slammed it excitedly behind her. She rushed to and forth trying to figure out what she would do next what room must be rearranged. It was an odd dance she did. Running here and there the maids all rushed to her and froze in their steps. Seeing a disgruntled little boy in her arms. He looked very displeased, not quite sure what he going to do but definitely irritated. A particularly bold nurse, by the name of Mary, approached the woman of the house.

"Miss? May I?" She asked carefully. Holding her arms out to catch the little bundle.

"Oh! Oh yes. Uh Sally would you pick a room? Not the music room. Or the library but a room for the nursery?" Nan said hurriedly. She carefully placed the disgruntled bundle into the maids hands and all the help bunched around him. Looking at the bluest eyes ever graced upon the earth. Eyes that reflected stars even when there weren't any out. Eyes that were almost opalescent and white but still blue as sapphires. They were soft while absorbing all the attention from all the nurses. He was learning what attention was and seemed to be enjoying it. Sally jumped and bolted off to the second floor and her steps were heard as she ran through the house. Looking for a room suitable for a nursery.

"Oh miss! Does he have a name?" A nurse asked.

"Where on earth did you get him?" Mary asked.

"The strangest thing! He dropped into my arms like a gift from the heavens." Nan squealed happily. "A name? Oh I hadn't thought of one! I was so excited to get him home I didn't think about it for a second." The nurses all began talking at once giving name after name. They knew he was a bubbly little boy and all had a name for a happy little baby boy.

"You should call him George!"

"No William!"

"Surely his name has GOT to be Riley!"

"What kind of a name is that!"

"Hush all of you!" Nan suddenly shouted. "His name will be Edward. Any changes will have to wait until Frank gets home." The maids all gave a huff but reluctantly agreed. The boy crinkled up his nose and made a disgusted face. He looked around at the maids in dismay. Almost trying to plead with them to change her mind. Though to be fair he'd never had a name but the sound of his new name displeased him. He tried to protest but his coos and irritation were only met with more cooing and adoration from the crowd.

When Franklin got home that night he was met with his wife, holding a small baby with the smuggest look of satisfaction on her face. She sat on the couch and bounced the child as he stumbled over in surprise.

"Where on EARTH did you get that?!" He asked gobsmacked.

"Well, it was a gift from the heavens." Nan said smugly. "A nursery has been made up and I've had all the supplies bought. Perhaps tomorrow we'll look into a nanny?"

"You can't just pick up a baby in the streets and call it your own." Franklin reasoned irritably. "We need to call the police!"

"Oh but Franklin look at him!" Nan insisted. Jumping to her feet and shoving the bundle into his arms. He looked at the baby and the baby looked back. Both sizing each other up and down. The corner of the infants face tugged upward into a crooked smile as a small piece of Franklin was offered to the baby. As it is for all babies when held by their parents for the first time. What made this special is that the boy accepted the piece. Though he had rejected the piece from Nan he accepted Franklin's offering. Though to be fair he did so mostly out intrigue. He'd never had any other pieces other than his own before. Though he watched other children take and swap pieces he'd never been able to before. The accepted offering broke Franklin's resolve. His face changed and he sighed.

"Well, if the nursery has been made up already and we have all of the items then I'm sure it would be fine.. But we'll keep an eye out in case anyone is missing him and if he is missed we will give him right back!" He compromised.

"Yes, yes of course!" Nan snapped. Holding her arms out to take the boy back. "I propose his name should be Edward."

"That is a decent name," Franklin mulled. Turning away from Nan, refusing to give the boy back just yet. "Though, he really doesn't look like an Edward... Perhaps he would be better named after my great grandfather..."

"Your grandfather?" Nan huffed in disbelief.

"Yes. He certainly looks more like a Peter." Franklin nodded definitively. "A Peter Edward perhaps?"

"Fine then." Nan snapped. "Now give him to me." Franklin ignored her completely as he walked away from the women completely. The small boy made a small crooked smile. He was still unsure about having a name in the first place but he did like Peter a little bit better than Edward. It didn't sound as stuffy and pompous. It had an air of fun to it. He was put to bed in the new crib after the sun went down.

Now by himself and quite bored, Peter took the small piece out and examined it. The piece was crystal clear, like a broken pane of glass. Though it wasn't sharp in the slightest. He turned it around and around. It was filled with suits and top hats. Banknotes and coins. Exact change and perfectly counted numbers. It was an interesting dance to see. Men sharply dressed and well to do, all holding different denominations of coin and paper, adjusting their spectacles and hitting keys on calculators. The gift of math and order.

After a few moments of watching and considering and thinking, Peter finally slid the piece under his pillow. Deciding he didn't really want it after all. He tried to sit up and to float away like he used to as a breeze but found just moving his new appendages made him very sleepy. Or, was it from looking at the piece for so long and thinking so hard? Either way he resigned to sleeping in the nursery for tonight. After all, it was warm and comfortable and the ladies were so very nice to him. He settled in and got comfortable and with a long yawn he was asleep.


	3. A Spoonful of Sugar

Foreword - I know it's been awhile since there was an update! However I actually have an excuse this time. On the fifth of May my son was born and it's been a little busy if you can imagine. He's adorable and sweet and I honestly can't put him down!

Chapter Three: A Spoonful of Sugar.

For those who've never had the joy and frustration of having an infant in the home, it can be a wonderful and terrible experience. Babies are very confused. They don't understand how their own bodies work much less how anything in the world works. If you had never been a bird before but then suddenly found yourself hatching from an egg you would find it very disturbing and unsettling. Babies feel the exact same thing, some used to be stars you know. They used to glow and light the skies for miles and miles. Then all of a sudden they are thrust into a dark unknown space without the ability to see.

Our particular hero was a bit troubled. Peter used to fly at high speeds through the treetops picking up sea breezes and woodsmoke and carry them for miles. However as a human baby he found he could no longer pick up scents like he used to. He would get frustrated as he tried to hold on to the distinct smell of fresh clean laundry, or freshly mown grass or the smell of fresh baked cookies. No matter how hard he tried, however he could not hold on to them or even grasp them in his hand. Now this brings a new problem, he'd never been frustrated before. He'd never felt any feeling in his entire existence but now he felt frustrated and angry. Having never been frustrated he had no way of communicating that feeling or expressing it so as babies do he'd cry.

He'd cry until he had the hiccups and his vocal chords were sore. Then he'd cry because he had the hiccups and his vocal chords were sore. Mary was elected as the nanny and she was the poor soul spending long hours cradling and rocking and soothing and cradling and rocking and soothing and cradling and rocking and soothing until she inevitably fell asleep on the nursery floor with a screaming infant in her arms.

If you think that the relationship between Franklin and Nan improved with the child they had agreed upon you would be very wrong. Nan avoided the new baby and never held him after the first day. Franklin spent every free second with the baby. The first toy he brought home was a wooden abacus and every night he spent time with his boy on his knee and the abacus in his lap and trying to teach the boy to count. He doted and spoiled the boy. Which made Nan jealous, and while she still got everything she agreed to, she missed the shopping sprees and attention. This was a point of contention between the two and some days Franklin would pass Peter to Mary so she could take him for a walk while the two parents yelled at each other.

Mary would take Peter out to the nice park with a play structure for the big kids to play on and a large sand pit. There were also large paths through heavy trees and large fields of flowers. There were bridges over streams and even a small pond near the baseball field. There they would spend hours until the sun set. Mary would pack large picnic baskets so if they began to feel a bit peckish they wouldn't have to end their outing. Mary was truly an enigma that Peter absolutely adored. A nanny who was perfect in every way. She spoke to Peter as if he were an adult and not like he couldn't understand her. She sang with the morning birds outside the window and they all crowded the windowsill to hear her beautiful voice. It was almost magic hearing her quiet and soothe the other babes and children in the park but Peter never fell under its spell.

Peter hated being cooped up indoors and loved being outdoors. The wind whispering to him secrets about far away places. The grass chattering merrily amongst themselves about this flower bed and that flower bed and which trees never lost their leaves on time. The trees telling stories about all the things they'd seen in their long lives. There was no better place to be. Sometimes during their picnics animals would come and carry long conversations. Dogs and cats came to share lunch and a tale of where they'd been. Birds came to offer trinkets and shiny things in return for a crumb and kind word.

Mary happily shared her plate with any animal or child that came by. She offered a small piece to Peter, the piece that Peter happily accepted. The gift was that of kindness and honesty. Something that Peter didn't wholly understand but took to heart. Mary was truly unlike anything in the world, she spoke to Peter as a person, not a no nothing idiot. It was in the nursery, getting ready for one of the outings to the park that Peter truly saw how magical Mary was. She grabbed his jacket and his shoes and accidentally knocked over his changing table.

"Oh." She scoffed and walked toward Peter, seemingly ignoring the mess. However she did the most remarkable thing by snapping her fingers as she walked away. The table instantly righted itself and all the things that had been on top of it picked themselves up and neatly placed themselves back into their proper places. Peter's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. He pointed at it and screeched.

"Close your mouth." Mary pointed out. "That was nothing to be impressed by." He narrowed his eyes at her and slowly closed his mouth.

"Use your words." She said. Threading his arms through the jacket.

"Ack-keh." Peter huffed. Meaning to say he had no words to speak with, he was only an infant.

"I know very well you're an infant but I'm very well educated in many languages including infant, toddler and conversational in french." Mary said as she pulled on his socks. Peter looked at her amazed.

"Heh." He smiled. Which meant, that's so impressive.

"It is nothing of the sort." Mary shook her head with a small smile. "Let's head out on our walk now." Peter nodded his head in agreeance.

"Ah-mmup." Peter said as he was lifted and placed into his stroller. What he had said was; What all don't I know about you?

"Quite a lot" Mary mused. Buckling him in to keep him from tumbling out. "But there is also quite a lot you don't need to know."

"Mm-mm." Peter pouted. Which meant; that's just not fair!

"Well, I suppose it can't hurt." She shrugged. She pushed him out the door and shut the door behind her. "You will forget soon, like all children." Peter gave her a scathing look.

"Ha-eh!" He shrieked. Meaning; Me, forget? Never.

"I certainly hope so." Mary smiled as they walked to the park. "I'm not much of a nanny, you're the first I've ever been charged with."

"Kee!" Peter responded, which translated to; I think you're doing very well!

"It's very kind of you to say so." Mary smiled. "I remember being your age, I remember before I was your age I was a tall willow if you can believe it."

"Weh!" Peter nodded. Meaning 'I was a breeze!'

"That sounds lovely!" Mary smiled. "I stood proud and tall, giving wise advice to those who came within my branches. I even gave council to the chiefs of the native Powhatan tribe a very long time ago when the first settlers came from England."

"Ah!" Peter marvelled. Meaning; 'That WAS a long time ago!'

"Yes indeed! Of course that was before this lifetime. I was born to a nice enough set of parents. Loving and attentive. I knew I was different very early on, I spoke with breezes and could hear the chatter of the trees. I never forgot the languages of nature or infancy. Even when everyone around me forgot."

"Ta!" Peter interrupted. Meaning to say; 'What about that table thing?'

"That? Oh that was just a little trick taught to me by a friend." Mary shrugged. "Eglantine Price her name was. Wonderful woman, not much of one for children though that changed after three came into her care. She was quite exceptional at witchcraft and taught me almost everything I know on the subject."

"Mm-ooh" Peter said. Meaning; 'What an interesting woman, may I meet her?'

"Wish you could but she is far away in the countryside. Your parents would never allow such a trip." Peter scoffed and looked about.

"Heh" Peter grinned mischievously. To which he meant; 'We don't have to tell them.'

"What a terrible idea." Mary huffed. "That will get both of us in trouble." Peter rolled his eyes mischievously. The two rolled up into the meadows of the park. Dogs ran about off their leashes with owners close behind, throwing balls or sticks or frisbees. Blankets with families all laid out in the shady or nicest corners. Mary surveyed the park with a critical and keen eye. She made a quick turn and headed through the grass, jumbling the perambulator -and the baby inside- around.

"Aaa-AAH" Peter screeched from inside the bouncing carriage. His noise was to signify how distressed he was at the change in terrain. Mary pushed him further along the grass until she came to a secluded spot in the left side of the meadow. Beside a large field of tall grass that led into the boardwalk of the nature walk. The walk was littered with tall trees, all that held nests of one kind of bird or mice.

Mary laid out the blanket and put up a small covering to keep the sun off the small picnic area. She pulled the infant out of the seat and set him down on the middle of the shaded blanket. Lastly she pulled out a small basket and placed it on the corner of the blanket. She sat down next to the baby and began pulling out a pre-made bottle and put it on the blanket near Peter. He stared at it expectantly but when instead of handing it directly to him, Mary began laying out a container of fruit he scowling and glared at her. She pulled out a few more items and then picked up the baby and laid him into her lap. She picked up the bottle and held him while offering the bottle.

He grabbed at it and shoved it into his mouth, sucking furiously. Mary gave him a smile and leaned him in her lap and took her thermos. Pouring a cold glass of lemonade into the cap and taking the lid off her own lunch. These picnics could last hours, Mary would tell stories for hours. Her stories would take place in a lovely fairytale place that hid behind the stars. Before she put Peter to bed she would point to the brightest star in the sky and tell him that hiding right behind it was the most beautiful place in the world. A vibrant world where flowers grew plenty, and it was always green and warm. Where children played all day in the warm waters of the rivers and waterfall. Where anyone could do or be anything. The only rule was that of honesty, kindness, courage and love.

Peter loved these stories and listened intently to every word and stared into the starry night sky, looking at the brightest star until his eyes could stay open no longer. He would have grand fantasies about this land. About every aspect, planning out every inch of the world and its inhabitants. He used his toys to create the map and adventures he would have. Though nothing compared to the source of the stories. Mary's imagination was immense and he had no idea how she could come up with so many stories. She told stories of a hero who kept the residents safe and all the amazing things and adventures he went on. The stories could go on for hours and they never seemed to stop. Peter never wanted them to.


End file.
